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the Fall of Camelot
Mar. 11th, 2009 06:02 pmThere seem to me to be four reasons for the fall of Camelot, or at least, four primary reasons (and, of course, I'm using Malory as my source).
Lancelot loves Guinevere. Now, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem, because Lancelot's love for Guinevere could be a good and chaste love that spurred him on to higher loves and greater chivalry. But Lancelot loves Guinevere instead of the Holy Grail. He ought to be one of the virtuous knights who achieves the quest of the Grail, but instead he would rather have Guinevere.
Guinevere doesn't love Arthur. This is bad enough by itself, because Arthur is the once and future king and one of the greatest kings of Christendom. But Guinevere goes further and actually betrays Arthur. It is not merely adultery, it is treason, and sets off an entire horrible chain of events. Perhaps Guinevere should have become a nun much sooner. I think she is repentant in the end, though, because when Arthur is gone she ignores Lancelot.
Mordred is evil. Mordred, the son of the great King Arthur, is evil and tries to take Camelot by force. He tears Camelot apart by his plotting, first by exposing the treason of the queen, and then by usurping his father.
Arthur chooses wrongly twice. First, Mordred would not exist at all if Arthur had not allowed himself to be seduced (although he may not have been able to help it, depending on which version you read and how you read it). Second, Arthur takes all the children the same age as Mordred and puts them on a ship, where all except for Mordred are killed. Mordred, of course, lives to seek his revenge. Arthur knows that Mordred is going to be the doom of Camelot, but that does not justify him in attempting to murder Mordred.
All four reasons together account for the fall of Camelot. If only one had existed, Camelot might not have fallen.
Lancelot loves Guinevere. Now, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem, because Lancelot's love for Guinevere could be a good and chaste love that spurred him on to higher loves and greater chivalry. But Lancelot loves Guinevere instead of the Holy Grail. He ought to be one of the virtuous knights who achieves the quest of the Grail, but instead he would rather have Guinevere.
Guinevere doesn't love Arthur. This is bad enough by itself, because Arthur is the once and future king and one of the greatest kings of Christendom. But Guinevere goes further and actually betrays Arthur. It is not merely adultery, it is treason, and sets off an entire horrible chain of events. Perhaps Guinevere should have become a nun much sooner. I think she is repentant in the end, though, because when Arthur is gone she ignores Lancelot.
Mordred is evil. Mordred, the son of the great King Arthur, is evil and tries to take Camelot by force. He tears Camelot apart by his plotting, first by exposing the treason of the queen, and then by usurping his father.
Arthur chooses wrongly twice. First, Mordred would not exist at all if Arthur had not allowed himself to be seduced (although he may not have been able to help it, depending on which version you read and how you read it). Second, Arthur takes all the children the same age as Mordred and puts them on a ship, where all except for Mordred are killed. Mordred, of course, lives to seek his revenge. Arthur knows that Mordred is going to be the doom of Camelot, but that does not justify him in attempting to murder Mordred.
All four reasons together account for the fall of Camelot. If only one had existed, Camelot might not have fallen.
